Signal arm for vehicles



Dec. 1,8, 1928. f

`. M. l.. GOFF SIGNAL ARM Fon vEHxcLEs Filed Dec. 7, 1925 MW ummm Patented Dec. 1,8, '1928.

UNiiisi)y STATES p V MADISON LQeoFF, oF LosV ANGELES,fciinnioitivm'.v

SIGNAL Anivr -Fon vnIIIcLEs.v

Appiicat'ion mea December 7, ieasfseriai-No. 73,940.

My invention relates tov signal arms for inn dicating the ,proposedaction of. a vehicle, that is, whether it is going to turn to theleft, to the right, or is goingto slow down or stop. A signaling system, using the humanarms for indicatii'ig the above has become practically permanentposition and deiinite direction ot4 Among the salient objectsot my invention are: to provide a vsignaling arm wliichis collapsible longitudinally and which is,1 therefore, also extensible,and which is adapted'to be extended vby air pressure and Lto v.be collapsed by means `cfa spring; to provide in such an arm an air holdingcbag orcontainer which'is extensible under air pressure and which isextended as thearm structure. is ex'- tended and whichl s contractedl as VAthe arm` structure contracts; to provide a valvefor controlling the air Vunder pressure which ex tends-said arm and which valve also permits the escape of said air lwhe'nit isdesired to ycontract said arm; to provide in connection with a signaling arm means for illuminating "said arm 'from its ybase/and outsidethereof,

one exten-ded.

and, in generah to provide a new and improved .signaling arm which can be extended and contracted at will and which will occupy Y a small space whenit is in its contracted form.'

` In order tol explain 't thereof on the accompanyingsheet of 'drawings, which I will now-describe.

Figure 1 isja side elevationof a signaling device. embodying 'my invention, partly in section and in its contracted form; Figurer 2 is a sectional view cfa valve;

Y Figure 3 is a side` elevation of the same,.-

partly in section, in extended form; andFigure L1 is aside elevation of an embodiment of the invention my invention, I have illustrated one practicalform or embodiment *l n V'tliefdi'sc member,16, tor supplying air under pressure tothe rubber bag-'or container, 15,

showing three ar-ms, with Referringv now to the drawings, I will dee 'scribe in detail the particular embodiment of the invention used ifor illustration andv explanation purposes. A base member, 1, is provided, lialvingtwo lamp sockets, as 2, 2., to receive tlie lamps, 3, 3,with'a central housing orchamber wall, d, securedto the sockets, 2,

2, as at *5,I by means of an annular `flange, '6,

'A series of telescoping tubular members, designated7, 8, 9,10, 11' and 12, are connected to said central'housing,.4, said `members being successively smaller, the inner or smaller member, :12, being provided with a cap, 13,

adapted when said members are in collapsedy or` contracted formto' cover the outer ends of fall'of said members, as lindicated rin'Fig. l, and when saidmembersare extended, as indicated in Fig.f3, said cap iscarried out with the inner, or smallerinember, 12. Said members are provided' with interlocking ends, as

at 14, 14,' shown.' in the present form to be of,r

hook-,like Jform, althcughit yis notnecessary thatthey hook tgether,'for I have provided other meanstogmak-e the, structure air tight. An air bag orcontainer, Vpreferably 'of rub ber, is provided, designated 15, andsecured at its outer end to the inside of the cap, l13, and at its inner end said rubber bag isfitted over aninner Vdisc wall, 16', and securedbyr means of an annular wallv or partition mem` vber, 17 ,within the housing 1. A ,coiled spring, 18,is`also secured at its outer end.y

within the smallermenib'er.12, and to said cap, 13, and isolt substantially uniforindiameteiywithinlsaid member 12, while the innerend otsa-id spring is substantially of the form indicated at 18', Fig. 1, whereby 'l vvwhen/said armis extended, as illustrated in Fig. 3, said spring is alsol extended, under tension', andwhensaid army is released, said` spring returnsv toV its normal' position, cons tractingtlie arm, as 1. I d', An airpipe, 19, is connected through the base' member, 1, thehou'sing, 4t, Vvand through for extending the same., ElCIC Wires 20- thesoclet members, 2,52, for furnishing electric energy tothe lamps, 3,3,y for illuminating the same, whichlamps illuminate the larm in ino y .are-,extended into/the base inember1',land to l its extended position,'as'will'be clearfroin I willjn'ow' describe the valve mechanism shownffor controllingtlie supply of air unsV der pressure to the air bag or contianer, l5, and as illustratedin Fig. 2. A bo-dy, 2l, is provided with a chamber, 22, through which is extended a shaft, 23, .on which aretwo eecentric valve members, 24 and 25, said chambei', 22, having an outlet at 26, with `a cou pling, 27, connecting it with an air pipe, as 19. SaidV body, 2l, has two bores, 28 and29, in which are secured two valve seat members, 30 and 31, with securing bushings, V32 and 33, withvalves, 3.4 and 35, therein, normally lild Closed by means of springs, 3 6 and 37'.

Couplings, 38 and 39, connect outlet and supi ply pipes, and 4 1, respectively, tos-aid body, 2 1. The valves 34 and 35, are positively opened by the eccentric members, 24 25,

asv the shaft, 23 is turned by handle, 42.

rlhe air under pressure be taken from a storage tank or any suitable source of supmeans of a ply, which terms no part ot the invention .proper and is admitted through pipe 4l, when valve 35 is opened, said air passing tlirougli the chamber in said body, and through pipe, L9, ,to ythe signal arm, forcing the saine outwardly, as shown in Eig. 3. When the arm is be contracted, 'the' handle 42, is turned to permit thevalve 35 to close, and to open valve 34, which permits the air to escape thrQlgh pipe 4 0, which may be extended' t0. .any desired and Oui-O-bbevway position, The ,eccentric members, 24 and 25, Oiifatebbe valve, members, i34.: and 35, by direct ,cam act ion, and, thespriiigs 36 and 37 ,close'thein i 4, l have illustrated bow the Ssnaliiig device can be made with three arins instead o f ,one arm, saidarms being designated 43, 44 45, vand being positioned in .the three positions forthe arm signals, upwardly, outwardly and downwardly. Three lamps, 46, 4f? and 4 8 can hefufsed kfor illuminatingfthe saine, andl these ,can be with ,colored lamps, red, white' and blue, as 'indicated by the shading of lamps 46arid 4 8, There would be valve controlling device foreach arm,

similar to that shown lin Fig, 2, for the arm vvdescribed in detail. As the invention resides in the construction aiid operation of a single arm, along the line described, it is not necessary to describe in ,detail yan embodimentot;

the inventionwherein three arms are shown.

I do ,notlin'iitthe invention to the details of construction andV arrangement shown for descriptive l ,irposes, except l may beliniited y, by .the heit@ appended Claims.-

Ielaiin:V l, Asignal @rin adapted to be .extended y longitudinally and including a series of telescoping tubular members, pneumatic means for intermittently extending the. same at will,

lighting means scent and on'the outside'qofsaid signalarin illuininatingthe saine from the outside.

vholding member ,ingineiiibers andineans for directing air un-y A signal arm adapted to be extended loiigitudinally and including a series oit' telescoping tubular members, an extensible air wholly within said telescopder pressure into said extensible air holding' ii md said arm for extending' tlie'sanie.

'nal arm adapted to be extended longitudinal ing tubular members, means 'for holding air within said members whereby air under pres sure can oe forced into said arm to extend the V same longitudinally, 'and means for-returning the saine to contracted position whenl said air under pressure is released;

4. s'ifgnal arm adapted to beexteiided lonn gitudinally and Vincluding a series oi tele'scop-- ing tubular members, means whereby air under pressure can be forced into said arnijand retained there to extend'the same longitudinally, inea s i'or returnin ,the'same to con tiaoted posi-ti on when said air under'nr'essure ly and including a series of telescopf is released, and means for illuminatingsaid'V aib-rn. y i

5. A signalarin con'iposed of series of telescoping tubular rmembers of successively smaller diameters and `sulaptedto be extended longitudinally with the smallest of said'm'enri bers at the outer end'thereof when extended, u ieansY for holding air 4under pressure in said. members for extending the same, and means for 4controlling the admission of air under pressure v intosaid arin'for extending said members.`

6,- Assnslarmcombosedef aselsoftbf Y Y scoping tubular members 'et successively smaller diameters and adapted'to beextended lbnstudieallvwitb.the .Smallest .of Said members at the @liter @ed tberebt when extended means 4for holding jairunder pressure in said members for extending the same, meansor controlling the admission of air 'underpres-V sure into "said arm' for extending said inembers, andineans for illuminating saidarm.

` 7. A signalarm constructed of aseries'of tubular meinbers'adapted to be extended and contracted longitudinally, an air Vbagwholly therein adapted to receive air ,under pressure and tobe extended Vthereby to extend said signal arm, andmeans for controllingfthe admission of air under pressurev to said air bag and said for extending the rsanne longitudinally for .signal purposes.

8. A signalarm for vehicles including a' series of telesjcoping members V adaptedy toin-"` terlock with each V other as extended longitw dinall'y, an extensible 'air Abidding `riieifnber therein adapted to be extended vwith said members, means for forcing. air under pressure into said air holding'meinber and said' armV for vextending the saine longitudinally, and a spring adapted to be extended as'said ytelescoping members are extended, said lsaid members to contracted form when said1k l A 13o air is released.

iio

9. A signal arm .for vehiclesincluding ak series of telescoping members adapted to interlock with each other as extended longi tudinally, an extensible air holding member therein adapted to be extended with saidV members, means for forcing air under pressure into said air holding member and said arm lor extending the same longitudinally, a spring therein adapted to be extended as said telescoping members are extended, said spring being adapted to automatically return said membersto contracted form when said air is released, and means for illuminating said aimvvhen extended. y

10. A signal arm of the character shown and described and including a series of tubular telescoping members adapted to interlock y at their ends when extended, s id members being successively smaller in diameter With the smallest member at the outer end When extended, a cap carried by said smallest member and adapted to cover the ends of said members Whenl collapsed, means whereby said telescoping members will hold air under pressure therein for extending the same,

means for controlling the admission of air Vunder pressure thereto, a spring in said telel1. In a signaling device for vehicles, a

base member, av plurality ot arms projecting therefrom in different positions and adapted to be extended lonigtudinally, air holding means in said arms to receive air under pres. sure to extend the same, means for controlling the admission of air under pressure thereto, a spring adapted to be extended with said arm, said spring being adaptedto contract said arm when said air is released,and means `for illuminating said arms from the outside,

substantially as indicated. f

Signed at Los Angeles, County, California, this 2nd day of December, 1925.

(MADISON L. eorr.

Los Angeles 

